Let Europe remember the Great War

The document critiques the predominantly national level of First World War memorialization, arguing that such approaches often reproduce the nationalistic discourse that led to the conflict. The author proposes a new culture of remembrance under the auspices of the European Parliament that emphasizes the shared experience of futility and horror over national honor. By disclosing diverse narratives and historic grievances, the author suggests that Europe can create the mutual trust necessary to overcome current political and economic stalemates and strengthen the European Union's democratic legitimacy.

• Current commemorations of the First World War are primarily conducted at a national level, which tends to omit the sense of futility and the revulsion for nationalism experienced by many soldiers.
• The First World War represented a bankruptcy of idealism and a failure of the belief that technical and scientific progress would inevitably lead to a better human society.
• The war created a shared European experience of suffering in the trenches, yet it also left a legacy of fragmented political relationships and divergent national interpretations of blame and suffering.
• The author argues that the European Union is uniquely qualified to organize a new form of remembrance because it symbolizes the defeat of nationalism and can focus on the horrors of war rather than national honor.
• A European-level remembrance, potentially led by the European Parliament, should aim to disclose different interpretations of the war's causes and consequences rather than producing a single narrative.
• Integrating diverse national stories into school history books and establishing new rituals between former enemy cities are suggested methods to build mutual trust and political cooperation in Europe.

APA

Meijers, E. (2014). Let Europe remember the Great War. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/let-europe-remember-the-great-war/

Chicago

Meijers, Erica. Let Europe remember the Great War. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/let-europe-remember-the-great-war/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Meijers |first1=Erica |title=Let Europe remember the Great War |publisher=Green European Journal |date=15 May 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/let-europe-remember-the-great-war/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{meijers2014let, author = {Meijers, Erica}, title = {{Let Europe remember the Great War}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/let-europe-remember-the-great-war/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }